WINNIPEG, MANITOBA--(Marketwire - Nov. 30, 2007) - Today, more than $1.7 million in funding for a Manitoba value chain initiative was announced by the Honourable Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board, and Rosann Wowchuk, Manitoba Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives.

"This project will help farmers take advantage of new market opportunities and will create stronger links between producers, processors and retailers across the Prairies," said Minister Ritz. "This government is proud to support initiatives that will generate growth for farmers by helping them respond more quickly to consumers' demands."

Through value chain initiatives, farmers develop and expand support networks that lead to new market opportunities and increased profitability. These value chain partnerships enable farmers, processors and retailers to work together to achieve effective results that they may not be able to achieve on their own.

The federal portion of $915,984 in funding for the value chain initiative is provided to the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council (MRAC) through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food (ACAAF) program.

Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI) will provide $200,000 in funding over the next four years for a total of $800,000, along with an additional $1.1 million of in-kind support and expertise.

"Value Chain Manitoba will unite producers, processors and suppliers to develop innovative products that will deliver new economic opportunities to Manitoba's agricultural sector," said Minister Wowchuk. "There's a world of opportunity for Manitoba-made commodities such as Berkshire pork, hemp products, berries, and other natural and organic foods, and this value chain initiative will open the door to new products and new markets."

"This initiative will increase awareness of value chains, facilitate the creation of value chains, and encourage collaboration with other provinces," said Linda MacNair, Chair of MRAC, which administers ACAAF funding in Manitoba. "The workshops and other support provided through this initiative will lead to benefits such as differentiated products, consistency of supply, and whole chain marketing."

Workshops for the MRAC/MAFRI value chain initiative began this fall to help Manitoba agri-food businesses respond to the marketplace by linking production, processing, and marketing activities to market demands.

ACAAF councils in Saskatchewan and Alberta have already established such programs, and the three provinces have developed a Western Canadian Value Chain Initiative that encourages the growth of value chains across the Prairies.